Personality
by Mycroftthepolitician
Summary: Nick couldn't understand how someone with so much personality and hidden depth could be so infatuated with someone who had neither. Nellis. Slight Zoey/Ellis and Frochelle.
1. Chapter 1

**"_Zoey unfolded into an everyday young woman who everyone can relate to._"―Andrea Wicklund**

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They were in deep shit this time.

Okay, that was an understatement. They had been in deep shit before. _This_ was a bit worse than "deep shit".

Nick felt terrible, despite the fact that he had quite a bit of extra adrenaline in his system. Ellis had given him his remaining shots, despite just having been pounced on by a hunter. Nick would have refused the kid's offer, except a hoard of infected had decided to charge at them at that specific moment. Nick had wondered if the infected had been getting smarter. It wasn't like anything had happened to rile them. Then he saw the tank, accompanied by two chargers. The four had managed to take down the tank and one of the chargers. However, they didn't manage to do so without taking quite a few major hits. Then, when it seemed almost over, _three_, fucking _three_ hoards began running at them from different sides, the last charger still running around to boot.

Fuck, Nick was tired. He had gotten pummeled by the charger they had taken out, having to have been rescued by Rochelle. He could feel the blood coming from his forehead and right side. He couldn't see the charger anymore, but he could hear it. Blindly, he fired at the direction the sound was coming from, punching away the infected that clawed at him. His vision was getting fuzzy, and he was so lightheaded. He would've given anything to just close his eyes….

He knew he couldn't, though. He needed to push onward, needed to live. There was too much riding on his survival, too many things he needed to do when he pulled himself and the others from the massive depths of the hellhole they currently existed in. A pair of focused, blue eyes met his, and Nick nodded, understanding as the owner of those focused eyes reached for the pipe bomb in his pocket. Nick did the same, and the two men tossed their makeshift bombs in separate places, hoping that they would thin out the hoard a bit. Ellis might have treated the apocalypse as a game when they had first met, but hell, if the guy hadn't grown up a considerable amount since then.

Ellis gave Nick a quick grin, as the bombs went off in unison, his eyes sparkling, but not without a hint of bitterness behind them, one that Nick was sure only he was able to see. That was the first reason why Nick had to get out of this mess. He had to get Ellis out before he became too scarred to be himself anymore. Before the man Nick had found himself falling for over the months of torture and hardship was gone forever.

Nick hated himself for falling in love for anyone. But, falling in love with Ellis made it so much worse.

The fall had been gradual. He could have stopped it. Or, that was what Nick told himself. He really had hated Ellis at first. Nick hated anything stupid, unless that stupid thing was letting him take advantage of it in some way. Ellis never let Nick get the upper hand on any situation, though. That hick could shoot just as well as Nick, and could run faster to boot. He had held strong. Nick had rarely ever seen the kid even flinch. Ellis really could laugh in the face of danger.

It wasn't until after the second helicopter pilot had a heart attack, sending them plummeting back to Earth-back to _hell_- that Ellis' laughter became bitter.

_THAT_ had been the night when all of the little things; the way Ellis always took care of Nick before himself, the positivity-the glue- that had held them together for so long, the way Ellis focused during a hoard attack, so as to protect everyone else, the confident way the kid held himself, even during an insult blast from Nick, the soft, always eager blue eyes, even the stupid fucking accent had just outright grabbed ahold of Nick. And it hadn't let go yet. Because, that night, Ellis did nothing but stare blankly into the flames of the fire Coach had started. There were no positive words, no story to cheer them up, just that stare.

It was then that Nick had understood. Ellis had _never_ thought of the mess they were in as a game. Not ever. If he had, he'd have been his usual positive self, or he'd be hysterical. Crying, laughing, or destroying things at least. But, he just stared. It was with that realization; that most of Ellis' stupid, happy-go-lucky attitude was for their benefit and theirs alone, that he had fallen. That kid had guts that Nick could only dream of having.

Even with the bombs, the hoard was still much too thick for them to take on in their state. Nick felt like the ground was spinning him every which way. An infected man had shoved him to his knees. He couldn't see Rochelle or Coach. He could barely even see Ellis. He tried shouting to him, but the hick was already chin deep in zombie scum and could scarcely move, himself.

"HOLD ON, NICK!" Nick heard the southerner shout, as he smashed a few zombies in the stomach with his shotgun. There wasn't much he could do, his body wouldn't allow him to stand up, no matter how many times he tried.

"RO!" Nick heard another voice. He could have sworn it was Coach's. Then, he saw Ellis go down.

"EL!" Nick screamed, shoving the infected that were clawing at him, as he stumbled and crawled in Ellis' direction, hastily.

"_Please be okay, kid. I can't lose you! Not here!"_

Then the charger found him.

Nick let out a yelp as the charger scooped him up, and threw him to the ground. Nick heard a sickening crunch that he guessed was one of his ribs. He was too tired to feel much pain any longer.

"_My, God…this is the end, isn't it?"_

A shot rang through the air.

"_Ellis…"_

Several more shots followed in a frenzy after it.

"_I'm so, so fucking sorry…"_

Nick could hear distant voices. They seemed kind of familiar.

"_I love you…. I love you all."_

Suddenly, something heavy was on top of him. It was the charger. Someone hat killed it.

"Francis, over here," a female voice called out. Suddenly, the charger was rolled off of him. The voice was so damn familiar. Nick just couldn't put his finger on it…

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Nick was staring up at a very familiar, bearded face. He glanced at who was standing beside him.

"I thought you were tougher than that, Nick," the bearded man's female companion jabbed. And then it all came flooding back to him.

"_She is so beautiful…she is so beautiful."_

_"You know what? This got me thinkin'. I should totally marry that girl."_

_"Man, oh, man, I jumped Jimmy Gibbs's car through a plate glass window, and I just met the purddiest girl I've ever seen. Nick, shoot me now, brother. Day's never gonna get any better than this."_

_"Hey, Rochelle, now don't spare my feelin's none... You think I got any shot with that Zoey girl?"_

Oh, FUCK, no.

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**Reviews are much appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two! This time from Ellis' point of view.**

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"Thanks so much! Louis, wasn' it?" asked Ellis, smiling up at the man who had rescued him.

"Yeah, that's right," said the thin businessman, grinning as he helped Ellis to his feet, "And it's not a problem. We saw you guys and figured you might need some help."

"We sure did," said Ellis, looking over to where the biker guy, Francis, was helping Rochelle to her feet. He snickered, as Rochelle blushed a bit. He was glad to see that his teammates were okay.

Wait. Where was Nick?

Ellis began to panic. He had heard Nick screaming, as he'd been taken down by the hoard. Oh, God, what if-

"I can manage myself, cupcake."

Oh, good. He was fine. Fine enough to make snarky remarks, at least. _"But, then again,"_ thought Ellis, "_he's always up for that. Wait…is that…"_

"Z-Zoey?" Ellis stuttered, making his way to the woman, attempting to clean out one of Nick's many wounds. She was definitely a beauty. Maybe not as lovely as he had remembered back at the bridge, but definitely lovely.

"Ellis!" Her face lit up. "Long time, no see."

"Yeah," he replied, scratching the back of his neck, face flushing.

"When the two of you are done making out, could ya' maybe throw me a med kit?" came Nick's voice from on the ground. Ellis snapped out of his daze instantly, still panicked about Nick's state of health, as he saw the deep, bleeding gash in his side.

"Christ, Nick. I'm so sorry. I shoulda' been helpin' yeh out. Now look at yeh." Ellis felt guilty for not reaching him sooner. He immediately bent down and started cleaning out his wounds.

"Careful, Overalls," Nick cringed, as Ellis dabbed at his wound with an alcohol-soaked cloth.

"I can do it, if you want," Zoey offered, "You know, since he's obviously just going to be a ungrateful jerk to you, Ellis." She glared at Nick.

"Naw, it's okay, Zoey. Nick gits real fussy when anyone heals him. He seems to behave best for me," said Ellis, before Nick could interject. Technically that was true, although Ellis really didn't really know why Nick was so patient with him when he needed help. He figured it was to make sure Ellis didn't get his feelings too hurt and refused to help him next time. That was Nick. Being kind to others only if it benefited himself. Although, lately, it hadn't seemed that way.

As a matter of fact, Nick had been much kinder to him over the last month or so. This actually made Ellis quite happy. He hated to admit it, but Ellis adored the older man. Nick was just so _awesome_. At least, that's the word Ellis used to describe Nick. The way the conman could take on a group of special infected without flinching, how he smirked whenever he got his point across, the way he had a sarcastic quip to everything, like he didn't even have to think about it.

Of course, there were other things, too. Like the way he gently bandaged Ellis when he was hurt, nothing but concern for his hurt teammate in his emerald eyes, and the way he complimented him every time he put in a good shot, or the way his eyes began to shine when Ellis said something that the conman actually considered intelligent. However, Ellis didn't like to think about those things. They made him think in ways he was sure would get him a beating from Keith or Dave. Sometimes, he couldn't help himself, though. The moment he had met the stingy conman he knew that there was something special about him. This man had obviously gone through more than the three other survivors combined. Things that had hardened him. Ellis was determined right away to start chipping away at Nick's hard exterior to find something a bit softer underneath. He was pretty sure he was close to reaching it.

He remembered one night, after their second helicopter had gone down. Ellis had been so distraught. He really thought they were going to get out of the infected mess they had been thrown into. He'd kept a smile on his face for most of the journey thus far, trying to keep up the spirits of his less optimistic teammates. But, they'd been "rescued" so many times before, only to be thrown back to the zombies. He was starting to feel like everything was hopeless. He was tired. Tired of smiling, tired of jokes, and tired of zombies. And so, he just stared ahead, gazing blankly into the flames of the fire one of his teammates had started. He was too emotionally drained to pay attention to which one had made it. It was then, that Nick had begun to open himself up to Ellis.

"I know things seem bleak, kid, but, then again, things have been bleak all along" Nick said, as he had sat down beside the hick, reaching over and grabbing his hand. Ellis might have pulled away, but, as he turned to face Nick, he found that he couldn't bring himself to go a single inch farther from him. He even had the thought of getting a bit closer rolling around in his mind, as Nick's face contorted with something akin to painful adoration.

"You know that, though, don't you, Overalls?" Nick chuckled weakly, "You're not stupid, and we've all been the morons for not seeing it."

Ellis felt his heart begin to race. It had hurt in a way he'd never even imagined it could, staring up at Nick that night.

"Don't give up, Ellis," he had said, "Because God knows that one of us has to keep hope, and it sure as hell ain't ever going to be me."

"I thought you hated each other," said Zoey, breaking Ellis from his memories.

"I don't hate him, Barbie! He just gets on my nerves," hissed Nick, as Ellis tightly wound some gauze around his stomach.

Ellis' head shot up, half in surprise and half in anger, "Don't be treatin' her like that, Nick. If it weren' for her you might be long gone by now!"

"Yeah, because _you _were so much help," scoffed Nick, obviously angry.

Ellis felt guilt rising up inside of him. He _had_ told Nick that he would save him, and he haden't. Still, that was no reason to treat an angel like Zoey so rudely. "Why yah gotta be like that, Nick?" snapped Ellis, fighting back tears. There was no way he was going to cry in front of Zoey. He was nervous just talking to her.

"Ellis," came a comforting voice. He looked up to see Zoey's concerned, but angry face, "Don't bother helping him if he's going to act like that. You've healed him enough. He should be able to walk to the safehouse and finish bandaging himself." She offered him a hand.

Ellis gladly took it, feeling his face flush as she helped him to his feet. Her hand was much softer than Ellis had expected. Nick struggled to stand up after him, but managed without too much trouble.

"Careful, Nick," warned Ellis, still trying to be helpful, as Zoey began leading him to the safehouse the others had already congregated to.

"Shut-up, Ellis," Nick snapped. Zoey gave him a glare as the three went to join up with the others.

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**Reviews are appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

Nick groaned as he opened his eyes the next morning. His wounds were still a bit sore, but he felt much better than he had the previous day. He turned over, and smirked at what he found.

Ellis was still sound asleep on the floor beside him, only inches away. He looked so peaceful, almost as if he were safe, back home in Savannah. No infection, no zombies.

"When did you get here, Sport," whispered Nick affectionately, as he softly swept his hand through the hick's sandy hair, before moving down to stroke his jaw. It wasn't uncommon for Ellis to climb into bed with or find his way beside Nick at night. Nick figured it was nightmares, but had never really asked Ellis about it. He had figured Ellis would find comfort elsewhere now that _she_ was with them. But, the southerner had decided to fall asleep beside Nick, despite that, it seemed.

"_We'll go our separate ways today, anyway," _thought Nick, gratefully, _"and then Overalls' "angel" and her sidekicks will be long gone."_ He smiled to himself, as he watched Ellis subconsciously push his face against Nick's caressing hand in a happy nuzzle.

Suddenly, Nick heard a shuffle. He turned to see Louis, who was staring at the two of them in slight bafflement. As Nick glared at him, though, he just shrugged at the conman and lumbered off to the kitchen.

"_That's right,"_ thought Nick, sinisterly, _"Tell that bitch when you leave that there's nothing here waiting for her, so there ain't any point in coming back for it."_ He most definitely was _not _going to give up what he felt he had rightfully earned without a fight. He had earned his shot at this, at _him_. And Nick would be damned if he was going to let some girl who'd only exchanged a handful of sentences with Ellis take that away just because she was easy on the eyes and could shoot a gun.

"Time to get up, Overalls," Nick nudged Ellis, as he saw Rochelle groggily stagger out of the room to his left. There were only two bedrooms in the house, and Ellis, being Ellis, insisted that the ladies got them. Nick wasn't sure why they couldn't just share and leave a bed open for someone else. Ellis groaned, as Nick lightly shook him. He could hear Coach begin to wake from the couch behind him, as Francis still snored away in the armchair beside him.

"Mmm…Mornin', Nick."

A soft, loving smile spread over Nick's features, "Good morning to you, too, Champ."

"Smell coffee…" Ellis muttered, drowsily sitting up. It did smell like coffee. Rochelle or Louis must have found some in the kitchen, Nick guessed. God, he loved coffee. It was one of the few luxuries they could still afford in a zombie apocalypse.

"Well, we'd better get some before it's all gone," said Nick, standing. It took Ellis a bit to follow suit in his groggy state, but he managed, eventually.

The conman and hick were greeted by a tired smile from Rochelle and a knowing look from Louis. Nick ignored Louis, hoping that the businessman wouldn't say anything about the tender moment he had witnessed, and, instead, turned to Rochelle, "Any coffee left, Ro?"

"Plenty," she replied, grabbing two mugs down for Nick and Ellis, before settling down at the kitchen table beside Louis. Ellis and Nick proceeded to fill their mugs and sit across from the two, sipping their caffeinated beverages in comfortable, sleepy silence. Nick felt a pair of eyes settle on him, and he knew right away that those eyes belonged to Ellis.

"Nick?" Ellis asked, noticeable hesitance in his voice.

"Hm?"

"Wouldya ever consider getin' married again?"

Nick practically spit his coffee out, beginning to cough as he choked on the liquid. Ellis looked away, face turning pink. Louis and Rochelle both gave the hick an odd look.

"Why would you ask a question like that, Overalls? Thinking about proposing?" he joked, giving the embarrassed southerner a wink.

"N-no. Uhcourse not! I was jus' wonderin'-"

"Hey, anyone want any jerky?" called a voice. Francis entered the room, holding a large bag of what looked to be homemade beef jerky, "I found a ton of the stuff downstairs!"

"I hope that stuff was made before the infection," commented Nick, as the biker passed the bag to Ellis, who hastily bit into the dried meat, thankful to have a reason to keep his mouth shut for once.

"Or at least made out of an animal," chuckled Francis, shooting Rochelle an apologetic look when she declined the bag from Ellis.

Zoey and Coach entered the kitchen next. The room had begun to feel a little too crowded for Nick's taste, despite the fact that the kitchen was a decent size. Zoey poured herself some coffee and plopped down beside Ellis good-naturedly, grabbing a strip of jerky and tearing into it.

"So, we talked it over last night," said Zoey, turning to Rochelle, "And if you wouldn't mind, we'd like to stick together, if you don't mind having us."

Nick's jaw dropped. She couldn't be fucking serious.

Ellis' eyes lit up, "'Course we don' mind, Zoey! We'd love tuh have yah on the team!"

Rochelle smiled at Francis, "Well, it definitely wouldn't hurt to have more guns on our side."

"We're all headed up to Nebraska, anyway, right?" said Coach.

"Yup!" replied Zoey, "That's where we've heard there's a CEDA camp, anyway."

This could not be fucking happening. They were supposed to get _rid_ of these parasites today, not welcome them permanently!

"Hold on a goddamn minute!" snapped Nick, shooting up from his seat at the table, "This was not the plan! We can scarcely watch our own backs! How are we supposed to watch three more! We'll be dead before tomorrow!"

"Hey, that's not fair, Nick!" said Ellis, standing up, as well, "These guys have helped us out a lot, yeh know!"

"We could always leave _you_ behind, boy," warned Coach, giving Nick an angry look. Nick knew they would never do anything of the sort, but the remark still pissed him off.

"I'm just saying," growled Nick, "We're in a lot more danger this way."

"I'm sorry that _you_ don't like us, Nick," said Zoey, glaring daggers at the conman, "But _we_ all like each other."

Nick snorted, "_WE meaning YOU, and EACH OTHER meaning Ellis," _Nick thought, angrily.

Louis cleared his throat, and Nick fell silent, knowing the leverage Louis could have over him.

"Nick, I get where you're coming from," he said, "We lost a teammate, so we know how protective you must feel over the lives of Rochelle, Ellis, and Coach. But you have to understand that we're _all_ teammates now, and we're going to protect one another. I've got your back, man. Promise." He put a hand on Nick's shoulder. Damn, that Louis was good with words. Nick figured he was probably pretty good at his job, whatever it had been.

He looked over to Ellis, who looked back, his eyes hopeful. He just couldn't say no to the kid, could he? Even if it meant throwing away something that made himself feel better.

"Fine," sighed Nick, "I'm in."

Ellis smiled at him, giving Nick a brief glimpse of joy, before the hick turned back to Zoey.

"So, I guess that makes up partners, Zoey," grinned Ellis, nervously holding out his hand.

"I guess it does, partner!" she replied in a pretend southern accent, smiling as she shook Ellis' hand.

"_Oh God, what have I signed up for?"_

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_**Reviews are appreciated :D**  
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	4. Chapter 4

**Here's chapter four for you guys! Thanks so much to everyone who has been reviewing. You are lovely.**

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It had not been a good day.

Ellis had woken up alone that morning. Perhaps it seemed a stupid reason to consider it a bad start to the day. Waking up _alive_ was a good enough thing in a zombie apocalypse, but he felt so empty, waking up without Nick there. But Nick had locked himself up in one of the bedrooms for the night after he had gotten in an argument with Coach on who would carry what the next day. The night had been restless with paranoia without him.

Zoey had done her best to comfort him, talking to him about everything from cars to horror films until she eventually fell asleep from exhaustion. It was kind of like a sleep over, Ellis thought. He still was a bit nervous when talking to her, like back when he had a crush on a pretty girl in elementary school, but he was definitely less nervous than before. They had become pretty close friends over the last few days, actually, sharing funny thoughts and jokes while they moved onward. She really was kind to him, and he was grateful for kindness, seeing as everyone had been extremely tense since the groups had merged. Joy or playing around was next to zero as of late. Ellis missed the loving, family-like moments the group used to share together.

They hadn't eaten anything that morning either, seeing as the safe house was void of any food. Ellis could feel the empty ache in the pit of his stomach, as he trudged down the highway, shooting any infected that came his way. And they definitely came his way.

"Jockey!" Ellis shouted in warning, as one of the creepy, little infected scuttled out from behind an abandoned truck.

"Watch it!"

Ellis' attention turned from the jockey to Francis, who had just killed a hunter that had been about ready to pounce on the hick. The biker grunted as he kicked dead hunter in the head, satisfied with his kill.

"Holy shit, man!" exclaimed Ellis, "Thanks for that."

"Ellis!" the southerner heard Zoey yell in alarm, as shot rang out from her direction.

He looked to see the jockey from before bleeding out at his feet. He had gotten distracted, and had almost paid dearly for it. He looked to Zoey, who was shaking her head at him, good humoredly.

"Thanks, Zoey." His face flushed in embarrassment.

"What are friends for?" she smiled, as he caught up to her.

"Dammit, pay better attention to what's trying to kill you, Overalls," Nick snapped, heading up the group.

"It's a li'l' hard when all of the zombies seem to go straight for me, Nick!" said Ellis, defensively. It was true; the majority of special infected they had encountered that day seemed to have locked onto Ellis. He had already killed two chargers, four smokers, a hunter, and a spitter, all in a handful of hours. Just another part of why the day had been so sucky.

"They attack all of us, Overalls. We're not almost getting offed every time we turn around." Nick's voice was thick with annoyance. The conman has been noticeably irritable for the last four days. Ever since Louis, Zoey, and Francis had joined their group.

"What's your problem, man?" snapped Francis, marching up and cutting Nick off, standing in front of him. The whole group stopped.

"That's how he always is, Francis. Ain't no sense gettin' too upset over it," said Ellis, running to the two men, hoping to avoid any extended conflict. They were already fighting for their lives. The last thing they needed was members of the group out to get one another.

"I don't believe that," chuckled Francis, darkly, "Back when we met you on that bridge, he was a prick, sure, but he sure as hell wasn't _this_ pissy."

Ellis couldn't help but admit that Francis was right. Nick wasn't usually nearly as vicious as he had been lately. It was obviously because of the additional people around (he seemed to get along with Louis just fine, but Francis and Zoey were another story entirely) and it had begun to rile the entire group.

"Maybe I wouldn't be in such a bad mood if I didn't have your _stench_ hanging around all of the time, Greaseball!" shouted Nick.

"Oh that's real cute. You're givin' _me_ nicknames now!" said Francis, angrily.

"Maybe I am, asswipe! What are you gonna do about it!"

Then, in one swift move, Francis' fist collided with Nick's jaw, forcing the conman onto his backside. That didn't stop him from jumping right pack up and returning the favor, though.

Panic began to pulse through Ellis' body, as Francis began hammering multiple blows to Nick's stomach and face, enraged. The hick froze up, horror eating away at his insides. He was tempted to pull out his gun and shoot Francis, the same way he would a hunter, as the infected creature tore at his friend's flesh. It wasn't long until the two were on the ground, messily throwing punches and kicks at one another. Judging by how hard Nick's punches were (despite how few Francis let him get in), Ellis figured that Francis was very lucky that Nick had lost his three rings along their journey. Then, one of Francis' punches drew blood. It was then that Ellis' body unfroze itself and reacted.

"STOP!" Ellis finally shouted, shoving Francis off of Nick with extreme, adrenaline-fueld force. Francis looked up at him,surprised at his outburst.

"_DON'T TOUCH HIM! DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH HIM!"_ The biker continued to look up at the hick in shock, as Ellis stood protectively in front of Nick. If looks could kill Francis would probably be dying in a fiery blaze.

"Ellis…" Ellis heard Nick's voice from behind him, coming out in a surprised squeak.

"Stay back, Nick," said Ellis, protective anger in his voice, unwavering. He stood his ground, as Francis stood.

"Look, kid, I'm sorry if I got out of hand. Bastard just pisses me off," apologized Francis, flashing them both a smile that was only half cocky.

"I don't care," said Ellis, continuing to stand his ground, despite the embarrassment from finally noticing that all of his companions' eyes were on him, "You can't jus' go punchin' anyone who pisses you off."

Ellis felt pressure on his shoulder, and he turned his head to see that Nick had stood up behind him, "It's okay, Fireball. He's not used to things like civility, growing up in a cave."

"Nick…" groaned Ellis, knowing exactly where this was going. Why did he have to be so difficult all the damn time?

"For God's sake, Nick!" snapped Rochelle, fed up with the conman, as she marched up to the three men, "You're thirty-six! It's time to get over petty playground squabbles!"

Ellis nodded vigorously, thankful for Ro's timely intervention.

Francis laughed, as Nick gritted his teeth in irritation, but said nothing in retort.

"And _you!_" snapped Rochelle, turning to Francis, dark eyes furious, "You're old enough to know better than to provoke someone who could have your life in his hands fifteen seconds from now. _Grow up._"

"Goddamn idiots," grumbled Coach, "Surprised you didn't attract every effin' zombie in a ten mile radius."

The three men went completely silent. All of the fighting and screaming really had been reckless. It was clear how guilty they all were feeling. They had put their teammates in danger so carelessly.

"'M sorry, ya'll," said Ellis, finally.

"What's important is nobody got hurt," said Louis, optimistically.

Nick pointed to his swelling, bloodied lip, "You were saying?"

Francis began to laugh heartily, followed by Zoey and Coach not long after. Suddenly, they were all in higher spirits, the thick tension that had been haunting them all quickly swept away, laughing over the stupidity of the recent incident. Even Nick smirked a little.


	5. Chapter 5

**You people are so very wonderful to me and my silly little fan fictions :3 I love you guys. Also, I'm moving out in 3 days, so please bear with me as I get my shit together. The next chapter may not be up for a while, but I'll never abandon you guys like that. The story shall continue!**

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It was almost midnight, and Nick still hadn't fallen asleep. He had retired to a pile of sheets on the living room floor of the safehouse, his back to the kitchen entryway, staring at the blank wall opposite him. The only light came from the candle Louis had lit in the kitchen.

Nick had to admit, the new team members were starting to grow on him. Louis was a really compassionate guy, it turned out. A little on the quirky side, maybe, but he hadn't ratted out Nick's affections to Ellis yet, and that was good enough for him. He had kind of become the older brother of the group. Francis wasn't so bad either, despite his violent tendencies. To be honest, Nick had gained a decent amount of respect for the biker after their little street tussle. The guy could hit, and hit hard. On top of that, it turned out that Francis wasn't half-bad at poker, either, which is more than Nick could say for Rochelle or Ellis. Zoey…well it was hard to pin how Nick felt about Zoey. He hated her, of course, but he knew his reasoning for that hatred probably wasn't quite fair. It really wasn't her fault that Ellis would be more into cute college girls, than a conman in his thirties. No. The reason he wasn't sure how to feel about her was because…well,…who _was_ she, really? Sure, the girl could shoot, but when it came to who she really was, her personality, her soul, and all of that other cheesy bullshit that made them all so distinct and (dare he admit it) lovable she seemed like such a blank slate. There was no way Ellis was falling for Miss Generic Girl, was there? Or was there something Nick just wasn't _getting_.

Nick sighed, irritably, as loud laughter came from the kitchen.

"God, Ellis, you're so funny!" Nick heard Zoey giggle.

"Heh, thanks, Zoey, but I really don' see how almost getting' eaten by a lion is all that funny," replied Ellis, who had just finished one of his stories revolving around one of he and Keith's misadventures.

"But you got out alive," Zoey pointed out. Nick could practically hear the huge smile on her face. He snarled in disgust.

"I've got outta lotta things alive," Ellis said, voice chipper, "I'm getting through somethin' right now, and I ain't dead."

"That's true," Nick heard Louis interject, "We're all going through something pretty big, but we'll all get out of it okay."

"I think so, too Louis," said Ellis, "We have each other, after all. As long as the seven of us stick together, I know we'll make it out."

"We really have saved each other's asses," laughed Zoey.

Suddenly, everything went quiet. No laughter or voices. Nick was about to actually get up and see if anything had gone wrong, before Ellis finally spoke.

"Yer thinkin' about him, aren't you? The guy you lost before you first met us."

"Yeah," Louis' voice came, with a hint of sadness, "His name was Bill. He was a good guy."

"He was a hero," added Zoey, softly.

Nick heared one of the chairs push back and someone take a few steps.

"'M sure he was, Zoey. He musta been one hell of a guy," said Ellis.

There was a moment of silence before Zoey replied, "Thanks, Ellis."

Nick's stomach turned painfully. He didn't exactly know what was going on in there, but he wouldn't doubt it if Ellis and Zoey we're getting a little _too _close.

"Ellis?" Nick heard Louis ask.

"Yeah?"

"How do you feel about Nick?"

Nick froze. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck! Why would Louis bring that subject up _now_ of all times? Nick's heart began to slam against his chest. Did Ellis just kiss Zoey in that moment of silence? Is that why Louis wanted to know? Did he actually think that Ellis and Nick were an item?

"I dunno how t' answer that, Louis. He's kind of the best thing that ever happened to me, you might say."

Nick let out a breath he hadn't realized he's been holding. What was Ellis implying? Did he…? He couldn't. Could he?

"He might not wanna admit it, but we're pretty much best friends at this point. Never thought I'd say that," Nick heard the southerner laugh, "But he's real important to me. I don't think I'd function too well if he were to run off on us or get killed." The last part of his sentence sounded very solemn, and Nick felt his chest tighten with adoration and sadness. He had no clue that the kid thought that highly of him. "I dunno what it is, really. I've gone through my fair share with Ro and Coach, but it seems like I've gone through the most with Nick. I'd pick him first to be on my side any day." Nick could hear Ellis' wide grin, even if he couldn't see it.

Nick smiled, as he settled down again, much more comfortable, and ready to drift to sleep. That was before Ellis decided to ask Louis and Zoey a question of his own, "What do you guys think about him? I mean, I know he leaves a bad impression at first, but we've all been together for almost two weeks, now."

"He's…different," replied Louis, not unkindly, "But I definitely can see some good in him." Nick was thankful that he had left it at that.

Zoey laughed, "Well you've got the 'different' part right, but I'm not so sure about the 'good' part."

"Why'd you say that, Zoey?" asked Ellis, "He really is a decent guy, when you get to know him."

"No offense, Ellis. I trust you, Rochelle, and Coach completely. Especially you," Nick rolled his eyes, "But Nick's just another story. I mean, what did he even do for a living before all of this?"

"Conned people outta their money at casinos…." Replied Ellis, a little downtrodden, "He got inna lotta other trouble, too, I reckon. But that don't change my opinion of him none. I think his heart's changed. At least a bit."

"Ellis, that's what cons do. They lie and trick you into believing that they're something that they're not. I mean, I'll protect him as long as he has my back, but I'm pretty sure that as soon as we reach CEDA, he'll make sure to be out of our lives forever. All of ours," said Zoey, gently.

The room went silent again, and Nick's innards twisted with violent agony. At first, sure. He wasn't even planning on staying with the group as soon as he got out of that hotel in Georgia. But now he couldn't imagine his life without his friends, his little makeshift family. They were all he had left. It wasn't like a life of fortune and luxury could await anyone during or right after a zombie apocalypse, anyway. He didn't come off as _that_ ungrateful and horrible at this point, did he?

"I don't know, Zoey," said Louis, carefully, "I have a feeling he'll be sticking around for quite awhile."

"Why? He has no reason to," Zoey sniffed.

"I just think Ellis knows what he's talking about when it comes to Nick. A lucky guess, you might say."

"I dunno, Louis," said Ellis, Nick's gut twisting even more painfully, "Zoey's probably right, he will try and shake us off. The problem with that is that I won' let'im."

Nick chuckled at the hick's words, some of his tension easing off. Of course Ellis wouldn't let him just go that easily. He was Ellis, after all.

"You boys are crazy," said Zoey, as Nick heard her stand from her chair, "But I suppose, not even Nick could say no to Ellis if he's persistent enough."

"That's for sure," said Louis. Thankfully, only Nick seemed to catch the hint in his voice.

"Well, I'm off to bed. Zoey, wake Francis and Rochelle when it's their turn to take watch," instructed Louis.

"Alright. Goodnight!" called Zoey.

"'Night."

Nick pretended to be asleep, as Louis entered the room and got into the sleeping bag a yard or two away.

"Man, you've sure got yourself one dedicated man," said Louis to the "sleeping" Nick. Nick wasn't so sure, though, as Ellis continued to blatantly flirt back and forth with Zoey throughout the night.

Nick listened, as they prattled on about Zoey's favorite movies (it turned out she had been rather fond of horror films before the apocalypse), and Georgia sunsets, and how (of course) Ellis would _have_ to take her to see one after this whole mess was over, and about high school teachers, and deer, and Keith. The pit in Nick's stomach just got deeper and deeper with every new subject, and every time Ellis would stutter nervously, or Zoey would giggle. When it was time for them to wake Ro and Francis, Nick was half sure that the hick would follow her to her room for the night. And it turned out, he was right.

The conman felt tears (something very uncommon for him) begin to prick at his eyes, as an overwhelming amount of pathetic sorrow began to envelop him. God, why had he been so stupid? It's not like Ellis cared about him more than a friend. And Zoey was adorable, and inviting, and…well, had a vagina. He knew that he should have given up the moment that that moronic little college girl showed up.

Then he heard a noise, and suddenly, something happily pressed against his back.

"Aww, isn't that cute," Nick heard Rochelle's voice from the kitchen. Nick sighed, half with joy, and half with self-resentment for getting so worked up. Of course Ellis had gone with her to wake up Rochelle. He was too much of a gentleman to speed things up that quickly. He heard Francis softly laugh, as Ellis nuzzled Nick's shoulder. Pretending to be asleep, Nick turned over, and slowly pulled the hick close, so that his head was resting on Nick's chest. Ellis didn't seem to mind at all. And, with that, Nick finally managed to fall asleep.

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**Reviews are appreciated :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, it seems it's been long enough, right? But I said I wouldn't abandon you, and I didn't. Thanksgiving break has given me a few days to write this, though, so, here's chapter 6. Hopefully you'll enjoy it. Thanks everyone for sticking with me and my silly little story!**

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Ellis didn't want to open his eyes. He was just too goddamn happy at the moment. Warmth seeped into his bones, as he pressed himself closer to the body beside him. He sighed contently, feeling the arms of his friend tighten around him.

_This has been going on for long enough_, thought Ellis, as he sighed a less-content sigh, _All of this cuddling, and flirting, and bickering. Either something has to happen…_ Ellis bit his lip in frustration. _Or something has to stop._

Slowly, he opened his eyes, to see Nick's sleeping face. The older man had a soft, content smile on his face. Ellis could feel his heart warm, as he gently stroked his companion's jawline. Nick seemed happy for once, even if he was sleeping. And that was good enough for Ellis. He had done that. Ellis had made Nick happy.

_Unless he's dreaming of winning some bet and finding some lady to…_

He didn't want to finish the thought. It put a sour taste in his mouth.

_"Ellis, that's what cons do. They lie and trick you into believing that they're something that they're not."_

"…_as soon as we reach CEDA, he'll make sure to be out of our lives forever. All of ours."_

Zoey's words kept ringing in his head, as he stared at the sleeping Nick, who's soft smile had suddenly vanished. Ellis shut his eyes tightly, still stroking Nick's face. He didn't want Nick to leave. He couldn't take it if he just abandoned them, after all they had gone though. He _belonged_ with them. With _him_. There was no way Nick could just leave. Ellis had faith in his friend. In the man he…well he wasn't sure of anything, and there was no point in thinking about it. He was raised proper, and there was no room for the feelings he may or may not have for Nick in the upbringing his mama had given. And even if he decided to throw all of that away, he wasn't sure what would happen if he decided to…. Well Nick was just so complicated….

_But these feelings are __**real**__. I know they are. And something has to give. We just can't go on like this. _

His hand froze, and he slowly retracted it after some time, searing tears pricking at his eyes as he pulled away from Nick and sat up.

_Which means it has to stop. It has to stop now. God, it has to stop._

A single tear made its way down Ellis' face, and he began to shake.

"Good morning."

Letting out a yelp of surprise, Ellis snatched his cap from the ground, and shoved it on his head, tilting it to cover his teary eyes. It had been Zoey who had interrupted his private, heartbreaking moment. He had never been happier to see her.

"'Mornin' beautiful lady," he smiled up at her, standing, and walking up to her. Nick subconsciously began feeling around the floor, presumably searching for Ellis. When he found the spot to be completely empty, conman moved over to where Ellis had been sleeping, soaking in the left-over warmth from the hick as he slept.

Zoey glanced over at Nick, distastefully. Ellis couldn't bear to look.

"Want to go see what's for breakfast?" She asked after a moment. A wave of relief came over Ellis. Food was always a great way to get his mind off of things.

"Love to," Ellis grinned, following her to the kitchen. The chairs were still pulled out, and the coffee mugs were still on the table from the previous night's table talk. Ellis stared at the furniture blankly, thinking about the conversation. It was clear that Zoey didn't trust Nick. But she did have a good reason. He hadn't exactly been all that kind to her since the two teams of survivors became one. She hadn't gone through as much with him as Ellis had. One person she did clearly trust, however, was Ellis. She was a good friend. She listened to him and protected him, even if some of her "protection" seemed a little unfounded to Ellis. He grinned slightly, remembering the night they had first met at the bridge. She had looked like an absolute angel to Ellis that day. Perhaps he did go a little overboard, gushing over her the whole day long while Ro, Nick, and Coach listened. But it had simply been wonderful to talk to a woman his own age. And she was really pretty, he couldn't deny that. Maybe his situation wouldn't be too hard to get out of, after all.

"Cereal or Poptarts?"

Ellis turned to see Zoey smiling, holding a box of Frosted Flakes in one hand, and blueberry toaster pastries in the other.

"Hm. Ya know, that's a really tough choice," he said, "What would the chef suggest?"

"The "chef" would suggest the thing that's not out of date," Zoey chuckled, tossing a package of the toaster pastries to the southerner.

Ellis already felt a little better, as Zoey sat across from him, and they tore into their meager meals together.

"So, are you ready to go out there and finally get to safety?" She asked him, as she crumped up her wrapper.

"I'm ready to kick ass!" said Ellis, excitedly. Honestly, traveling miles on foot while constantly being in danger was the last thing he wanted. He could definitely go for shooting a few zombies, though.

Zoey smiled at him. It was an absolutely radiant smile. It reminded him of a really beautiful girl he had liked in high school. He couldn't remember her name, but he remembered her long, blond curls, and the way she has always smiled at him in the hallway. She had smelled like lilac, too. He bet Zoey smelled like lilac when she wasn't covered in dirt and zombie blood. Suddenly, he could feel a blush spreading across his face, and he coughed in slight embarrassment.

Then, the two looked up to see Francis, Rochelle, and Coach entering the room. Without uttering a word, Francis grabbed for the cereal, and tipped the box, pouring the stale sugariness into his mouth.

"Mornin'" greeted Coach, grabbing a package of toaster pastries and sitting beside Ellis.

"Mornin', Coach!" said Ellis, cheerily, "Mornin' Ro, Francis!"

Rochelle tiredly nodded, and Francis grunted into the cereal box.

"Hey! Can't you save some of that for someone else?" Rochelle snapped, glaring at Francis.

The biker lowered the box and handed it over, apologetically, "Of course. Sorry, Rochelle."

Zoey raised an eyebrow in surprise, and chuckled a little bit, "Wow, Francis. I never pegged you for the gentleman type, considering what a dick you are around me and Louis."

"I just know how to treat a real lady," he retorted.

"What about me?" she asked, pretending to be offended, just as Nick and Louis quietly entered the room.

"You ain't no lady, Zoey. You're just a snot-nose little brat."

"I think she's quite the lady," Ellis interjected. The room went quiet, and Coach smirked a little. Nick looked horrified.

"I mean it," said Ellis hurriedly. "'Sides, there might only be two women left, right. So we'd otta respect 'em."

Zoey smiled, "See Francis? Ellis knows how to treat a woman." She stood and offered Ellis her arm. He looped his with hers, and tipped his hat to her.

"Shall we?" He smirked.

"I think so," she smiled back. And with that, the two left the room to load their guns for the day.

Louis glanced over at Nick, as the two strolled out of the kitchen. He had a scowl on his face, but the conman kept himself cool for the most part. Sighing, the businessman made his way to the cupboard under the sink, hoping to find something useful. He rummaged through a few tools, flower vases, and rags, until something black and cylinder caught his eye.

"Guys, look what I found!" He called. Ellis stuck his head beck in the kitchen, as the other survivors gathered around. Louis had found a pair of binoculars. Ellis' excitement immediately peaked.

"You know what this means?" He asked, excitedly. When everyone was silent, he continued, "It means we can scout for dangers and supplies early! It'll save us lotta time, you gotta admit."

"That is a really good idea," admitted Rochelle, as Louis handed the binoculars to Ellis.

"Be careful with those, Sport," said Nick, gently. Ellis paid no mind to him, despite the tingling sensation that ran down his spine at hearing Nick's voice for the first time that morning.

"I think I should go out and scope out the place before we go out for the day," said Ellis.

"No," argued Nick, immediately, "You're not going out there by yourself, Ellis. It's too dangerous."

Ellis glared at Nick. He wasn't really mad at Nick, but he wanted to be. It was the only way he was ever going to start getting over this…_thing_ that had started between the two of them. "What, Nick? You don't think I can handle it?"

"It's not like that, Ellis. I just don't want you to-"

"Since when do you get to decide what I do, anyway, fancypants?" Ellis cut him off.

Nick's eyebrows knit together in hurt confusion, "Ellis-"

"I'm going. End of story." He glared defiantly at Nick. The other team members stared at them.

"Okay," sighed Nick, taking a step toward Ellis, reaching out, about to put a hand on Ellis' shoulder, "But at least-"

"Let me come with you," interjected Zoey, poking her head into the kitchen, "I'll watch your back while you're out there."

"Good idea." Said Ellis, blandly, turning his back on Nick, whose face clearly bore emotional pain. Ellis' stomach felt like it was in knots, as Zoey slung a shotgun over her shoulder and they began to head for the door.

"I'm coming too, Ellis." Ellis stopped at the safehouse door, hearing Nick's stern, slightly angry voice.

"I'm not sure we need you Nick. Zoey's a pretty sharp shooter." Said Ellis, emotionless.

"I know she is, kid. But you're getting extra protection whether you like it or not." Said Nick, even more emotionless sounding.

"Let's just get going," said Zoey, "Otherwise it'll be noon by the time we all head out."

And with that, the group of three opened the door to hell.

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